Reversible azoospermia associated with the selective JAK1 inhibitor abrocitinib: a case report
- 1Endocrinology Unit, Renato Dulbecco University Hospital, Catanzaro, Italy
- 2Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University, Catanzaro, Italy
- 3Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
Abstract
Objective: To describe a case of reversible azoospermia temporally associated with abrocitinib treatment in a man with severe atopic dermatitis (AD) and discuss its potential implications for male reproductive safety.
Design: Case report.
Patient: A 38-year-old normal-weight man with highly refractory AD, a history of neonatal orchidopexy, and primary infertility.
Intervention: Clinical, hormonal, and semen evaluation before and after discontinuation of abrocitinib therapy (200mg/day).
Main outcome measures: Semen parameters and reproductive hormone profile.
Results: Two consecutive semen analyses performed during abrocitinib treatment demonstrated azoospermia. Baseline endocrine evaluation showed elevated follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH; 12.3 mIU/mL), suggestive of seminiferous tubule dysfunction. Abrocitinib was discontinued, and reassessment after 3 months revealed complete recovery of spermatogenesis, with a sperm concentration of 50 million/mL. Although isolated teratozoospermia persisted, FSH levels normalized (8.6 mIU/mL) and inhibin B increased markedly (from 58 to 135 pg/mL), consistent with improved Sertoli cell function. The temporal association between drug withdrawal and recovery supports a potential reversible effect on spermatogenesis.
Conclusion: This is, to our knowledge, the first report describing reversible azoospermia temporally associated with abrocitinib therapy. Although causality cannot be established from a single observation, this case raises a potential safety signal regarding the effects of selective JAK1 inhibition on male reproductive function. Further preclinical studies, pharmacovigilance analyses, and prospective clinical investigations are warranted to determine whether prolonged or high-dose abrocitinib exposure may adversely affect spermatogenesis in susceptible individuals.
Related
- Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor-Associated Bruxism: Neuropharmacologic Mechanisms and Clinical Implications
- Real-world pharmacovigilance analysis of adverse events associated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants in children and adolescents
- Integrated single-cell and bulk transcriptomic analyses reveal UTF1-associated spermatogenic dysfunction and identify ACTRT2 and AKAP4 as biomarkers in non-obstructive azoospermia
- Selective Dopamine Transporter Inhibitor CE-123 Modulates Region-Specific Intestinal Mucosal and Immune Responses Following Fear Conditioning and Extinction in Adolescent Female Rats
- The conformation-selective PI3Kδ inhibitor roginolisib in patients with advanced or metastatic cancer, including metastatic uveal melanoma: first-in-human clinical trial
BibTeX
@article{seminara2026reversible,
title = {{Reversible azoospermia associated with the selective JAK1 inhibitor abrocitinib: a case report}},
author = {Giuseppe Seminara and Rossella Cannarella and Aldo Eugenio Calogero and Antonio Aversa},
journal = {Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1007/s10815-026-03993-0},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-026-03993-0},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Reversible azoospermia associated with the selective JAK1 inhibitor abrocitinib: a case report
AU - Giuseppe Seminara
AU - Rossella Cannarella
AU - Aldo Eugenio Calogero
AU - Antonio Aversa
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/05
JO - Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics
DO - 10.1007/s10815-026-03993-0
UR - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-026-03993-0
AB - Objective: To describe a case of reversible azoospermia temporally associated with abrocitinib treatment in a man with severe atopic dermatitis (AD) and discuss its potential implications for male reproductive safety. Design: Case report. Patient: A 38-year-old normal-weight man with highly refractory AD, a history of neonatal orchidopexy, and primary infertility. Intervention: Clinical, hormonal, and semen evaluation before and after discontinuation of abrocitinib therapy (200mg/day). Main outcome measures: Semen parameters and reproductive hormone profile. Results: Two consecutive semen analyses performed during abrocitinib treatment demonstrated azoospermia. Baseline endocrine evaluation showed elevated follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH; 12.3 mIU/mL), suggestive of seminiferous tubule dysfunction. Abrocitinib was discontinued, and reassessment after 3 months revealed complete recovery of spermatogenesis, with a sperm concentration of 50 million/mL. Although isolated teratozoospermia persisted, FSH levels normalized (8.6 mIU/mL) and inhibin B increased markedly (from 58 to 135 pg/mL), consistent with improved Sertoli cell function. The temporal association between drug withdrawal and recovery supports a potential reversible effect on spermatogenesis. Conclusion: This is, to our knowledge, the first report describing reversible azoospermia temporally associated with abrocitinib therapy. Although causality cannot be established from a single observation, this case raises a potential safety signal regarding the effects of selective JAK1 inhibition on male reproductive function. Further preclinical studies, pharmacovigilance analyses, and prospective clinical investigations are warranted to determine whether prolonged or high-dose abrocitinib exposure may adversely affect spermatogenesis in susceptible individuals.
SN - 1058-0468
SN - 1573-7330
ER -